The ProFire Lightbridge interfaces up to four Lightpipe devices with a PC or Mac via FireWire—perfect for integrating digital mixers, AD/DA converters and/or ADATs with most popular DAW software. The unit is capable of 32 channels of Lightpipe I/O, two channels of S/PDIF I/O and two-channel analog output for a total of 34 x 36 concurrent channels at 44.1 or 48kHz sample rates. (It also supports 16-channel Lightpipe operation at 88.2 and 96kHz sample rates via the SMUX protocol.) The ProFire Lightbridge can output word clock as a master, or slave to external sync on any input, and MIDI I/O also accommodates MIDI Time Code and MIDI Machine Control. Independent volume controls are provided for the ¼" balanced outputs and front panel ¼" headphone jack. The ProFire Lightbridge is compatible with most DAW software.

MacPips are pleased to announce the beta release of Loopifier, their latest Garageband utility. MacPips Loopifier for Garageband allows you to interactively set an audio file's gain and fade-in/fade-out settings to create seamless Real Instrument Apple Loops, every time. Previously, creating your own Apple Loops using Garageband involved exporting the trimmed recording from Garageband, then opening the audio file in a sound editor to experiment with different fade in/out settings, undo-ing or redo-ing each time, until the loop played seamlessly without clicks or pops.

Loopifier requires Mac OS X 10.2.6 or later and Java 1.4.2 or later. At present, Loopifier does not support 24-bit audio files. The beta version is available for download from Macpips website.

Steven Massey just announces that its full range of plugins (VT3 3band EQ, CT4 compressor, Tape Head Saturation/Distortion, L2007 mastering limiter) has been updated. Now all these plugins are available as new versions and add compatibility with new Intel-based Macs.

Updated and demo versions are available on the Masseyplugins web site.

Universal Audio released the new Neve 33609 compressor plugin. This plugin is the digital re-creation of Neve's 33609 bus compressor and is released with version 4.4 of the UAD drivers and software. The 33609 is unique among the UAD's collection of vintage compressors, as it is the first model of a diode-bridge type compressor, as well as the first UA dedicated bus compressor model.

A light (SE) version of this plugin is also available.

M-Audio is offering Izotope Spectron free when you purchase the ProjectMix I/O or Firewire 18|14 before September 30th. Spectron is a spectral processing plugin. It uses the Spectron Engine to split audio into thousands of frequency bands, apply effects independently to each band, and then resynthesize the audio to create entirely new sounds. It can provide delay effects, but it adds the ability to selectively delay, feedback and modulate specific ranges of frequencies. It can sound like a flanger or chorus, but with additional spectral complexity and richness. It can filter signals, but unlike an EQ it has the unique ability to morph, modulate and harmonically filter sounds.

More information here :